Illuminated floor polisher



y 4, 1967 H. F. DOERSAM ILLUMINATED FLOOR POLISHER 2 Sheets-Sheet l is .y.

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Filed Sept. 1-3, 1965 I NVENTOR. HENRY F. DOERSAM ATTORNEY July 4, 1967 H. F. DOERSAM ILLUMINATED FLOOR POLISHER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1965 INVENTOR. HENRY F. DOERSAM A TTOR NE y mb u :E IV

United States Patent 3,328,820 ILLUMINATED FLOOR POLlSl-IER Henry F. Doersam, North Olmsted, Ohio, assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,752 2 Claims. (Cl. 15-49) This invention relates to floor polishers, and more particularly concerns a floor polisher having an improved arrangement for illumnating the surface upon which the polisher is operated.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved floor polisher having a floor lighting arrangement which allows the operator to readily determine when the surface being polished has acquired the desired degree of shine.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved'floor polisher having a single light source arranged to illuminate both the floor surface in front of the polisher and also the floor surface to the rear of the polisher.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an illuminated floor polisher having a polisher housing structure which is relatively low in height and also in manufacturing cost as compared with nonilluminated polishers.

Briefly stated, in accordance With one aspect of my invention I provide a floor polisher of the twin-brush type having a housing or body including a rear wall in which is formed an upper opening. Light from a light source at least partially within the housing is directed out through the opening and downwardly at such an angle that it reaches the eyes of the operator, after striking the floor, with increasing intensity as the' polishing operation proceeds. This change in light intensity occurs because a highly polished surface reflects more light than an unpolished surface, and by observing this change the operator is able to determine when the polishing operation has been completed.

The light source is mounted in a relatively low position within the housing, and an overlying reflector redirects the light rays downwardly and rearwardly at the appropriate angle to enable the operator to observe the change in light intensity. Also, the same light source may be arranged to cooperate with a front opening in the housing and a forwardly extending portion of the reflector to direct light rays on the floor surface in front of the polisher, if desired.

Other features of my invention and the manner in which the foregoing and other objects of the invention are achieved will be most readily understood by referring to r the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the acompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially in cross section of a floor polished embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken generally along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a somewhat enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of my invention, there is provided a motor driven floor polisher, generally designated by the numeral 10, which comprises a frame 12 below which are mounted a pair of rotary polishing brushes 14 arranged to rest upon a floor surface FS when the polisher is in use. The polishing brushes 14 are rotated about parallel vertical axis by suitable gearing (not shown) driven by an electric motor (not shown) housed within a motor cover portion 16 of the frame 12. These components are enclosed Within a housing generally designated by the numeral 18, which may be made of sheet metal or plastic material. The housing 18 includes ice Patented July 4, 1967 a front wall 20, a rear wall 22 and a top wall 24 preferably formed as a single integral part which may be suitable secured to the frame 12. For the purpose of permitting light rays to emerge from within the housing 18, as will be described more fully hereinafter, the front wall 20 is provided with a front opening 26 located adjacent the top wall 24 and the rear wall 22 is formed with a rear opening 28 likewise located adjacent the top Wall 24. Extending from the rear wall 22 of the housing 18 is a handle bracket 30 which provides a pivotal connection for a handle 32 secured to the bracket 30 by means of a pivot pin 34.

In order to provide illumination for the floor areas both to the front and to the rear of the polisher 10 there is provided a light source 36 carried by the frame 12 and located partially within the housing 18 adjacent the opening 28 in the rear wall 22 of the housing 18. Since the floor polisher 10 may be used 'by either right handed or left handed operators, it is desirable that the light source 36 direct rays of light both to the left and to the right of the handle 32, and accordingly the light source 36 comprises an elongated lamp 38 mounted in a bayonet type lamp socket 40 secured by means of a mounting clip 42 to to curved supporting shield 44. The supporting shield 44 is supported on the frame 12 by means of a pair of integral mounting bosses 46 and a pair of screws 48. To facilitate assembly of the lamp socket 40 within the housing 18 the supporting shield 44 is preferably formed with a slot 49 shaped to accommodate the mounting clip 42.

It is desirable that the over-all height of the housing 18 be kept as low as possible in orderto permit the floor polisher to be maneuvered under furniture of various types, including chairs, desks and chests which are supported above the floor by legs of appreciable length. Such maneuverability is particularly desirable when the polisher is used to re-polish a previously waxed and polished floor, and the operator wishes to avoid moving the furniture around the room. To this end, the present invention provide an arrangement in which the top wall 24 of the housing 18 is not appreciably higher than the top surface of a conventional polisher housing, and the light source 36 is mounted below the top edges of the openings 26 and 28 at the front and rear of the housing 18, respectively. In order to direct light rays from the light source 36 toward the floor surfaces at the front and to the rear of the polisher 10 there is provided a reflector 50 carried by the housing 18 in overlying relation with respect to the light source 36. The reflector 50 is secured to a pair of mounting studs 52 welded to the top wall 24 of the housing 18, a pair of screws 54 being provided for this purpose.

The reflector 50 is positioned in generally parallel relation to the floor surface FS upon which the polisher rests when in use, and extends forwardly through the front opening 26 and rearwardly through the rear opening 28 formed in the housing 18. A forwardly and downwardly extending reflecting surface 56 is provided on the forward edge portion of the reflector 50 so as to direct light rays from the light source 36 forwardly and downwardly to illuminate the floor surface in front of the polisher 10. Similarly, a rearwardly reflecting surface 58 is formed along the rear edge portion of the reflector 50 so as to direct light rays from the light source 36 rearwardly and downwardly at such an angle that these rays are reflected from the floor surface up toward the eyes of the operator when the polisher 10 is in use. Preferably the configuration of the reflecting surface 58 and its position with respect to the light source 36 should be so chosen that the angle of incidence of the light rays striking the floor surface to the rear of the polisher is less than about 30 but not so small that the light rays strike the housing 18. In the preferred embodiment of the invention this angle of incidence is approximately 25.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that by utilizing a thin sheet metal reflector overlying a light source mounted there'below on the body of a floor polisher it is possible to keep the over-all height of the polisher housing within the limits required for maneuverability of the polisher under chairs, desks and other articles of furniture. Further, because the reflector and the housing are separate parts only the reflector need be provided with a highly reflective surface. In addition, inasmuch as the light source is fixedly secured with respect to the polisher housing the angle of incidence of the light rays emerging from the rear of the polisher does not vary appreciably during polishing operations and hence the intensity of the light to the rear of the polisher as observed by the operator does not change as it might if the light source were to be mounted on the polisher handle.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, I do not desire the invention to be limited to the particular construction disclosed and I intend by the appended claims to cover all modifications within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A floor polisher comprising a frame, floor polishing means secured to said frame, a housing having front and rear walls secured to said frame, said housing having front and rear laterally elongated openings along the uppermost portions of each of said walls respectively, said frame including a motor cover portion positioned within said housing, a handle connected to said housing and extending rearwardly therefrom for propelling the polisher over a surface, a laterally elongated light source carried by said frame, said light source being positioned at least partially within said housing below the top edges of said openings and partially below exteriorly and rearwardly of said motor cover portion, a reflector secured to said housing, the lateral extent of said reflector being substantially equal to the lateral extent of said openings, said reflector extending through and beyond both of said openings in generally parallel relation to said surface but inclined slightly downwardly and rearwardly so that the highest portion of said reflector is at the front of said polisher, said reflector being positioned so as to reflect light rays from said source along a path passing through the opening in said rear wall and thence downwardly and rearwardly towards said surface so that the angle of incidence of the light rays striking the surface to the rear of the polisher is less than 30 whereby the light source is reflected toward the eyes of the operator guiding the handle of the polisher, said reflector having a forwardly and downwardly extending surface provided on the forward portion of the reflector so as to direct light rays .4 from the light source to illuminate the floor surface in front of the polisher,

2. A floor polisher comprising a frame, floor polishing means secured to said frame, a housing having front and rear walls secured to said frame, said housing having front and rear laterally elongated openings along the uppermost portions of each of said walls respectively, said frame including a motor cover portion positioned within said housing, a handle connected to said housing and extending rearwardly therefrom for propelling the polisher over a surface, a laterally elongated light source carried by said frame, said light source being positioned at least partially within said housing below the top edges of said openings and partially below exteriorly and rearwardly of said motor cover portion, said light source also being positioned at least partially rearwardly of the top edge of said rearward opening a substantial distance behind the center of said polisher, a mounting stud extending downwardly from said housing, a reflector fixed to said mounting stud, the lateral extent of said reflector being substantially equal to the lateral extent of said openings, said reflector extending through and beyond both of said openings in generally parallel relation to said surface but inclined slightly downwardlyand rearwardly so that the highest portion of said reflector is at the front of said polisher, said reflector extending a substantial distance rearwardly of the rearmost portion of said light source, said reflector also extending rearwardly of the lower edge of said rear opening, said reflector reflecting light rays from saidsource along a path passing through the opening in said rear wall and thence downwardly and rearwardly toward said surface so that the angle of incidence of the light rays striking the surface to the rear of the polisher is less than 30 degrees whereby the light source is reflected toward the eyes of the operator guiding the handle of the polisher, said reflector having a forwardly and downwardly extending surface provided on the forward portion of the reflector so as to direct light rays from the light source to illuminate the floor surface in front of the polisher.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,051,970 8/ 1936 Smellie 15-324 X 2,274,971 3/ 1942 White t 240-2 FOREIGN PATENTS 675,455 7/ 1952 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

E. L. ROBERTS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLOOR POLISHER COMPRISING A FRAME, FLOOR POLISHING MEANS SECURED TO SAID FRAME, A HOUSING HAVING FRONT AND REAR WALLS SECURED TO SAID FRAME, SAID HOUSING HAVING FRONT AND REAR LATERALLY ELONGATED OPENINGS ALONG THE UPPERMOST PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAID WALLS RESPECTIVELY, SAID FRAME INCLUDING A MOTOR COVER PORTION POSITIONED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, A HANDLE CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING AND EXTENDING REARWARDLY THEREFROM FOR PROPELLING THE POLISHER OVER A SURFACE, A LATERALLY ELONGATED LIGHT SOURCE CARRIED BY SAID FRAME, SAID LIGHT SOURCE BEING POSITIONED AT LEAST PARTIALLY WITHIN SAID HOUSING BELOW THE TOP EDGES OF SAID OPENINGS AND PARTIALLY BELOW EXTERIORLY AND REARWARDLY OF SAID MOTOR COVER PORTION, A REFLECTOR SECURED TO SAID HOUSING, THE LATERAL EXTENT OF SAID REFLECTOR BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE LATERAL EXTENT OF SAID OPENINGS, SAID REFLECTOR EXTENDING THROUGH AND BEYOND BOTH OF SAID OPENINGS IN GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID SURFACE BUT INCLINED SLIGHTLY DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY SO THAT THE HIGHEST PORTION OF SAID REFLECTOR IS AT THE FRONT OF SAID POLISHER, SAID REFLECTOR BEING POSITIONED SO AS TO REFLECT LIGHT RAYS FROM SAID SOURCE ALONG A PATH PASSING THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID REAR WALL AND THENCE DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY TOWARDS SAID SURFACE SO THAT THE ANGLE OF INCIDENCE OF THE LIGHT RAYS STRIKING THE SURFACE TO THE REAR OF THE POLISHER IS LESS THAN 30* WHEREBY THE LIGHT SOURCE IS REFLECTED TOWARD THE EYES OF THE OPERATOR GUIDING THE HANDLE OF THE POLISHER, SAID REFLECTOR HAVING A FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING SURFACE PROVIDED ON THE FORWARD PORTION OF THE REFLECTOR SO AS TO DIRECT LIGHT RAYS FROM THE LIGHT SOURCE TO ILLUMINATE THE FLOOR SURFACE IN FRONT OF THE POLISHER. 